Improvement in amalgamators



L. HINCKLEY.

AMALGAMATOR. No.17a,oo5, Patenfied. m 30,1876.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT fission.

LAFAYETTE HINGKLEY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT 'IN AMALGAMATO RS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 178,005, dated May 30, 1876 application filed 7 February 10, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAFAYETTE HINGK- LEY, of San Francisco city and county, State of California, have invented an Improved Amalgamator and I do hereby declare the following description and accompanying drawings are sufficient to enable any person skilled 'in the art or science to which it most nearly appertains to make and use my said invention, or improvement without further lnvention or experiment.

My invention relates to certain improvements upon the amalgamator described in Letters Patent N 0. 159,759, which was issued to provements, which are fully explained in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my amalgamator with the front removed, showing the interior. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the center.

A is the amalgamating pan or vessel, hav ing the dish-shaped concavity or depression B in the center, and occupying alarge portion of its bottom. The inclined side 0 of this central dish or concavity is composed of a copper plate, the upper edge d of which projects above the. annular portion of the bottom, which is outside of the depression. The upright spindle E projects upward from the center of this depression. F is the hollow muller or conical shell which surrounds the spindle E, being supported upon the upper .end of the spindle, so that a narrow space will be left between its lower rim and the bottom of the dish or depression, through which the pulp is to be forced out against the inclined rim or amalgamated plate 0, as described in my former patent. This shell or muller can be raised or lowered, so as to regulate the width of the space between the bottom rim of the shell and the bottom of the depression.

Instead of a screw, as formerly used, I now use inclined wings or blades 9 g in the lower end of the conical shell, arranged around the spindle in a manner similar to the buckles of a turbine water-wheel. These inclined wings answer a better purposethan the screw for producing and maintaining a circulation of the pulp.

A short distance above the bottom of the conical shell F I inake a number of openings, 41 i 6, through the shell, at intervals apart. A ring or collar, J, encircles the shell, resting upon ledge K, and has holes through it corresponding to the holes i t 'i in the shell, so that by turning the collar the openings in it can be brought opposite the openings in the shell, or to cover and close them, as desired. A pin, V, which moves in a slot in the collar, serves to limit its movement. A short distance above these holes, t it, I make other openings K K K, through the shell. The lower set of openings Iuse when I am milling the ore, and the upper set' when I am amalgamating.

When the pulp is first introduced into the vessel the pan A is only partially filled, and the lower openings are opened, so that as the muller is rotated the inclined blades in the bottom of the shell will draw it in through the lower openings and force it out at the bottom, thus scouring the pulp. The lower set of holes are then closed, and water is introduced until the diluted pulp covers the upper openings in the muller or shell. The muller is then rotated, and a steady continuous current or circulation of the pulp through the holes K K and down under the shell or muller is maintained until the entire quantity of pulp has been repeatedly passed over the amalgamated surface 0.

M is a scraper, which is suspended by its middle from an arm, L, which projects from the rotating shell or muller below the lower set of holes. One end of this scraper is suspended by means'ot' a notched plate, 0, from an arm, N, which projects out from near the top of the muller, sothat the point of the scraper can be lowered, as required, by lifting the plate 0, and hanging .it by the lower notches, or 'raised'by dropping the plate 0,

and suspending it by one of its upper notches S S are arms near the lower end of the muller 2 new;

which carry stirring-teeth t t, so as to agitate the heavy matter that settles in the annular track outside of the dish or central depression for the purpose of allowing the heavier particles to settle to the bottom as concentra-i By these additions and changes I greatly improve the action and efficiency of my circulating amalgamator.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1 The vessel A, having the central cavity or depression B, surrounded by the inclined copper plate G, the upper edge of which projects above the bottom of the annular track surrounding the dish or depression, in combi- -nation with the muller or conical shell F, with its holes ii and KK, and inclined wings or blades 9 g, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In an amalgam ator provided with stirrers a, the conical shell or muller F, provided with the lower set of holes 6 i i, in combination with the ring or collar J, with its corresponding'holes, arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The adjustable hollow muller or conical shell F, provided with spiral wings or blades 9 9 near its lower end, and having the holes 2' 11 arranged to be closed when desired by the annular collar or ring J, and also having the upper holes K K, said muller or shell being suspended from a spindle, E, and rotated inside of an amalgamating-pan, provided with an gularly-placed amalgamated plates 0 around and at a short distance from the lower end of said muller, substantially as and for the purpose described.

LAFAYETTE HINCKLEY.

Witnesses:

GEo. H. STRONG, JNo. L. BOONE. 

